Five weird cold remedies to try

It’s that time of year again where everyone is getting a cold and spreading it around campus. Everyone knows the normal home and over the counter remedies: drink lots of water, get plenty of rest and make sure your nose is clean. Some medication that is normally recommended is NyQuil, Mucinex and generic substitutes. These are all common and can either take a long time to work or can have no effect on you at all.

A rather uncommon and perhaps weird home remedy is putting on a pair of wet cotton socks. According to Dr. Katie Corazzo in an article at MindBodyGreen.com, before going to bed, place them in hot water for up to three minutes. After the three minutes are up, take a pair of cold wet cotton socks and put them on. Put on another pair of socks, but this time they should be made of wool. Sleep the whole night with them on and do not take them off until they are dry.

Chilies are a great way to help decongest nasal passages, as well. These peppers contain capsaicin, which is a component that can irritate body tissue. This makes your eyes water and your nose run; that last part is important, because it will decongest nasal passages and allow for mucous to be expelled from the body with relative ease. The bad thing about this method is that it will cause discomfort in the face because of the irritating compound.

Dark chocolate surprisingly makes it onto our list. Dark chocolate contains theobromine, which is a compound that reduces the reaction to cough. In other words, instead of buying cough drops, you now have the excuse to go out and buy chocolate to better your health so you can get to classes and get an “A”. Chocolate is also smooth and can soothe a sore throat.

Oysters are high in zinc, which busts the immune system. According to a Cochrane review, zinc can lessen the duration of colds. If you are allergic to oysters, then you can try eating beef, spinach, chicken, or once again chocolate, as all are really high in zinc.

Finishing off the list is a very unique drink from Japan. According to TravelandLeisure.com, the Japanese use an adult beverage that can help cure colds. The recipe includes beaten raw eggs, a tablespoon of honey and approximately six ounces of hot sake. Do not sip the drink, down it quick; it’s said to do the trick.

If you do have a cold or believe it could be something else, you should still go see your doctor and find out what’s the best way to take care of your body. If nothing your doctor prescribes seems to help, then maybe try one of these five home remedies and see if they help at all.

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